


Sing, Cuckoo, Sing

by MilliesSong (SirensSong)



Category: Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Alpha Kylo Ren, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alpha/Omega, Arranged Marriage, Canon-Typical Violence, Infidelity, M/M, Mpreg, Omega Armitage Hux
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-21
Updated: 2019-02-21
Packaged: 2019-11-01 14:39:17
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,936
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17869139
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SirensSong/pseuds/MilliesSong
Summary: Fill for this Kylux Hard Kink prompt:"It's bad enough for Hux that he's an Omega. Worse that he's an infertile Omega. His mate belittles him in private and public but the joke is on him when Hux becomes pregnant by Kylo. His mate is the one whose been shooting duds. And Kylo didn't do this out of the goodness in his heart for the couple. Kylo and Hux did it for themselves, thinking they wouldn't be caught."





	Sing, Cuckoo, Sing

**Author's Note:**

> Beta's by the lovely and wonderful RottenRice, as always.

There were multiple aspects to formal political gatherings that Hux never would have guessed he would enjoy. 

It got him out of the house, for one. Away from the miserable planet that was far too similar to his vague memories or Arkanis, with its near-constant rain. 

It gave him the opportunity to speak to people other than his mate or his servants, which was more rare than he liked to admit. His mate hosted guests frequently enough, but they were always the same type as him, older Alphas interested in getting drunk, talking about their own meagre achievements, and ridiculing everyone they saw as beneath them - which was everyone. 

The final pleasant aspect, and by far the best despite being a more recent development, was the presence of one Lord Kylo Ren. 

Hux had heard tales of him long before he’d finally laid eyes on him. From what he’d overheard, Ren was beastly: impossible to reason with, destructive, consumed by instincts with no logical thought to balance them out. By all rights, Hux should have wanted nothing to do with the Order’s new second in command

But when he’d been perfunctorily introduced by his mate at a gathering about a year previously, Ren had stopped to brush his lips over the back of Hux’s hand. His eyes had actually met Hux’s as he greeted him and stayed there, rather than immediately sliding back towards his mate. There had been something to his expression, a curl at the corner of his lips or the way he’d tilted his head just slightly, just enough to make his dark curls shift and fall forward. There had been a danger to him, true enough, but not the kind that he supposedly carried. It had been sharper, darker, far more intelligent than anyone had claimed. 

Hux had been intrigued almost instantly, and utterly charmed that evening when Ren had proven himself to be far from the beast people claimed. He danced far better than most, each movement crisp and smooth at once, practiced and easy. Much, much later that evening, he’d proven that his talent for movement extended far beyond the dancefloor.

-

Lingering on thoughts of that first evening, Hux hid his distraction in his glass of wine, leaning the edge of the glass against his bottom lip. He didn’t actually sip from it, instead simply lingering in the position, his gaze far away. Dinner would be served soon, and Ren had yet to arrive. Hux was beginning to worry he might not be attending, which of course was simply unacceptable. He’d only allowed himself to be dragged along tonight with the hopes of another liaison.

The sound of his name pulled Hux out of his reverie, forcing him back into the conversation at hand.

“Armitage had another heat last month,” his mate was saying, tone derisive. Hux barely resisted the urge to roll his eyes, knowing exactly what was going to come out of his mouth. Del Kellea was a painfully predictable man. “Stars know why an infertile Omega even continues to cycle like that. Bloody waste of my time and energy, all of it. 

“You’re the one that refuses to allow me to go on suppressants so I don’t cycle,” Hux cut in, scoffing. He finally took a sip of the wine that he’d been holding so close to his mouth, glaring idly at the Alpha at his side. “We’d both be happier that way.”

“So you can be even less of an Omega than you already are? Absolutely not.” 

A chorus of laughter followed Kellea’s response, and Hux did allow himself to roll his eyes, finally. 

“I’m going for a smoke,” he said mildly, far more polite than any of the Alphas around him deserved. The comments didn’t bother him beyond a mild irritation, but that didn’t mean he was eager to continue to listen in. Hopefully by the time he returned, they would have moved on to topics that didn’t revolve around criticizing him. Extricating himself from his mate, Hux slipped away toward the balcony on the farthest side of the room. Moving through the crowd was easy even in his heels and the long gown he was draped in - his Alpha’s choice, of course, not his own. This had been his life for almost a decade now, after all.

Outside, the air was almost brisk enough to be unpleasant. Some sort of shawl would have made being there a bit more tolerable, but that was of course too much to ask. Since Hux was unable to perform his basic duty of birthing children, he had to at least look pretty on his Alpha’s arm. That typically meant covering up as little skin as possible, regardless of what planet the event was being held on. 

Retrieving a cigarra from the small pack he kept tucked away low on the inside of his thigh, so as not to ruin the gown’s silhouette, Hux lit it and immediately took a deep inhale. He knew he could achieve the same calming effect just by forcing himself to breathe deeply, but it just wasn’t as satisfying.

Kellea’s needling had upset him when he’d been younger, but honestly, Hux had been immensely relieved after his first heat when he’d failed to conceive, and after every successive one for the next couple years. The bonding, arranged by his father and the Supreme Leader, had dragged him away from what could have been a very promising military career. Del Kellea was a wealthy benefactor of the Order, the last remnant of some noble family from Brentaal VI, who had taken a shine to Hux and demanded him in negotiations for his continued financial support. Obviously, it had not been a difficult decision for those in control of it.

Hux had hated him from the very first, of course. Just on sheer principle. At twenty, he’d been on his way to truly making something of himself despite being an Omega. Instead he’d been reduced to nothing but a housemate, and not even a very good one. 

He wasn’t opposed to the idea of children, honestly. As he’d gotten older and his hormones ran unchecked by suppressants and birth control, the idea gained appeal. But considering Hux would have been absolutely loathe to ever give his mate any children, he remained grateful for his infertility.

Letting out a long breath of smoke, Hux looked up toward the stars. He could only make out a few bright ones from here, the city they were in giving off too much light pollution. That was what he missed the most about his life before his mate, the view of the stars and the galaxy around them that had always been within easy reach at the nearest viewport. 

Suddenly aware of heat and presence behind him, Hux turned his head slightly, just enough to catch a glimpse of who it was that was bold enough to come so close up behind him. It was a familiar scent that greeted him, though, so Hux relaxed again, turning his gaze back up to the stars. A moment later, that broad chest pressed up against his back.

“I was starting to worry I came all this way for nothing,” Hux said, tilting his head back onto Ren’s shoulder, opening his neck up for his lips. It was stupid, probably, to be so open in the affair, but Ren had the Force. Hux was confident that even if someone else stumbled onto the balcony, Ren would take care of it. 

Hux could feel Ren’s laugh more than he could hear it, for how low it rumbled through his chest. “I always make sure I’m ready when your name is on the guest list,” he said, before bowing his head to press his lips over Hux’s pulse point. From there, it was only a slight shift down to where his mate’s bondmark lay, and Ren set his teeth to it immediately. It never failed to make Hux shudder, that Ren was bold enough to put pressure on the spot that should have been sacred between him and his mate. 

“Good, I’d be cross with you otherwise. I don’t endure these horrid things just for you to not come entertain me.” As much as he fought it, Hux’s voice still shook slightly as he spoke, affected by the attention to his bondmark far more than he wanted to admit to. Normally it wasn’t an overly sensitive spot, but when it was Kylo biting at it, all bets were off. 

Ren chuckled again, dragging his nose up along the side of Hux’s neck until it tucked just behind his ear. “How shall I entertain you tonight, then?” he asked, almost purring. “Now that I’m here.” 

“Surreptitious glances during dinner.” Hux discarded what remained of his cigarra, flicking it to the side in favor of ticking things off on his fingers. “One dance, as is proper for the Supreme Leader’s apprentice. Perhaps a second as the evening grows later and people get drunker. And then I expect to be so thoroughly satisfied, I won’t be able to feel horny until it’s time for the next event.” 

Hands, larger and warmer than his mate’s, slid over Hux’s hips, squeezed briefly. “That all sounds manageable. I look forward to our dances. And afterward, of course.” A cheek rubbed against Hux’s own, the gesture almost too affectionate. 

And then Ren’s heat and bulk were gone, far too soon, as he turned and slipped back inside. He had his own part to play at these events, after all. For a moment, Hux debated following him, returning to his Alpha’s side like the dutiful Omega he was supposed to be.

But, well. He hadn’t pretended to be that dutiful Omega in years. Lighting another cigarra, Hux turned his eyes back up toward the scant starlight.

-

Ren’s ship was far more comfortable than the expensive hotel room Kellea had purchased. It was familiar now, too, after having spent so many nights curled up on the bed in the back of it. The bed wasn’t all that big or as soft as Hux might have liked, but the Alpha in it more than made up for those flaws. Kylo Ren was, after all, everything Hux’s mate was not; young, attractive, attentive, intelligent.

Splayed out on Ren’s chest, knotted and sated, Hux allowed himself to purr. This was the only time he ever did, after being thoroughly fucked and held close through the afterglow.

Ren’s fingers traced up and down over his spine, occasionally slipping higher and running over the bondmark at the base of his neck. Hux didn’t mind. Far from it, he often arched up into the touch, forcing more pressure. Even after coming it still sent delicious tingles running through his nerves.

“You gonna live like this until he dies?” 

Ren broke the peaceful silence between them just as Hux’s purr started to fade as he began to doze off. He would need to be back in his hotel room before morning, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t get a couple hours of rest in while curled up where he was. The question, however, broke more than just his doze. Picking up his head, Hux scowled down at Ren.

“Do you always have to ruin things by opening your mouth?” he asked in turn, not feeling even a shred of guilt when Ren’s expression tightened in response. Instead of continuing to look at him, Hux put his head back down so he could listen to the steady thrum of Ren’s heart, hoping that would be the end of it so they could just return to basking.

Ren didn’t say anything else, but his displeasure was palpable, all the same. His hands had stopped moving over Hux’s back and his breathing wasn’t quite as deep as it had been. Minor things, really, but enough that after a few minutes of it, Hux huffed and levered himself back up. 

“I’m sorry,” he said, kissing the very corner of Ren’s mouth. “You know it’s a touchy subject. There’s nothing else I can do. Snoke will rain hell down on me if I even try, and on you too, I’m sure.” 

Ren sighed, deeply enough Hux felt his own body rise and fall with it. The hands on his back slid up again, however, so he’d successfully avoided Ren’s sulking. “Something has to give, eventually,” Ren said, sounding almost wistful. “You can’t spend your whole life miserable like this.” 

“Can’t I?” Hux asked, though there was no teasing in his voice. He was just resigned, mostly. Unless Snoke was somehow displaced, this would remain his life until his mate keeled over of entirely natural causes. “Now hush you, go back to petting me. I’d like to sleep for a bit before I have to shower and sneak back into bed with my actual Alpha.”

-

The morning nausea never registered with Hux as something he should take notice of. The weather was starting to turn colder, and he’d never dealt with the whole seasons thing well. Growing up on starships had left him overly sensitive to environmental changes, so he was already sick when it started. That it continued far past the other symptoms of the cold just left him thinking his body was having even more trouble adjusting as he aged.

Standing in front of the mirror and turning from side to side, though, he couldn’t ignore the undeniable curve sitting low between his hip bones. It was faint, but there prominently enough that it had caught his attention while undressing for the shower. When he looked at himself straight on, he couldn’t see anything. Tilted slightly, though…

Sliding his hands over the slight swell, Hux imagined he could feel something bubbling under the skin. That was impossible, of course, even if this was from his last heat.

All of it should have been impossible. He was infertile. Kellea had been trying to breed him every heat, four times a year, for nearly a decade. And there’d never even been anything to remotely indicate his seed had taken, never the slightest symptom or delayed cycle. 

Maybe it was just a fluke. He could have eaten something strange, or developed a uterine tumor that was mimicking the early physical stages of pregnancy. Unfortunately, Hux had no means of getting to a doctor without alerting his mate. Right now, that just wasn’t an option. He had decisions to make before alerting Kellea, if he truly was pregnant.

He’d never wanted to have that rotten bastard’s children, after all. He would wait and hope his heat arrived on time. As long as it did - and it would have to, because he wasn’t fertile - then he could safely request a trip to the doctors without worrying. 

Putting the matter out of his mind, just for the time being, Hux turned and stepped into the shower.

-

The symptoms did not go away. A week before his next heat, Hux found himself in front of the mirror again, frowning at his reflection as he smoothed his hands over his stomach. He couldn’t say the curve was any larger or more defined than it had been a couple weeks ago, but it was still very much there.

He’d noticed other differences, too. He wasn’t completely unconvinced they weren’t psychosomatic, yet, but he definitely had far more of an appetite than he ever had before. His body wasn’t rejecting nearly everything with more than one flavor or spice to it, and he craved red meats more than he ever had before. 

It had been eleven weeks since his last heat. And eight since he’d last seen Ren. 

What did that mean, really? Could three weeks make a difference? Hux didn’t actually know, he’d never bothered to research the stages of pregnancy. He’d figured he would save all that for when he was actually experiencing it, and abandoned the idea entirely when, after the first year and a half of being bonded, he’d still been barren. 

Heading back into his bedroom, Hux settled down in bed and prepared to do a little of that research, finally. Encrypting his browsing was easy enough, thank the stars. Kellea believed him too stupid to properly utilize the skills he’d been taught in his youth, and he was that much more of a fool for it.

Two hours later, Hux was filled conversely with dread and a strange kind of excitement. Initially he’d feared it might really belong to his mate, somehow. He was showing earlier than everything he’d read said he ought to be - apparently the tiny curve was his uterus shifting more than anything else, and typically happened right around twelve weeks. Even for it to have happened during his heat, that made it early. But Hux knew he was thinner than most Omegas, not quite as healthy, and certainly not as athletic as he might have been if he’d continued within the ranks of the Order. That combination could have lead to his belly ‘popping’ early. 

So that left both his mate and Ren as potential fathers. On a hunch, Hux decided on a more refined search, looking for cases where Omegas who should not have conceived suddenly did.

It was an enlightening few hours, to say the least.

-

Predictably enough, Hux’s heat didn’t come the next week.

He’d expected it, and sat himself stiffly on the huge bed in the master bedroom of the manor while Kellea stroked over his hair and his stomach, acting in that foolish, doting manner he’d abandoned as soon as Hux’s very first heat with him had ended. The Alpha had scheduled a doctor’s appointment for him immediately, of course.

“Whatever has happened, we can’t trust your body to maintain it on its own,” he’d said. “I’ll hire someone to come stay here and monitor you for the rest of it. You’ll be put on a special diet, I’m sure. Possibly kept in bed, though that won’t be hard for you, will it? Not like you do anything anyway.” 

Hux was dreading the appointment.

-

“You said we should be looking at thirteen weeks along?” the doctor asked, her brow furrowed as she looked at the ultrasound.

“Armitage’s heats run like clockwork, and he should have been in heat last week. So yes, thirteen weeks, give or take a few days of course,” Kellea answered for him. Not that Hux minded, for once. This was all going to turn very bad very quickly, so he was looking at the ultrasound while he had the chance. He didn’t have a plan, after all. There were some vague notions of how he would manage what was to come, but nothing concrete. That was too dependent on how exactly his mate reacted to plan for accordingly. 

“Uh-huh.” The doctor hummed, still studying the ultrasound. She was obviously skeptical of that timeline. “He must not have conceived during heat, then. The fetus is only around ten weeks, not thirteen.”

While Kellea turned his gaze to Hux, Hux kept his own fixed firmly away as the doctor pulled up a more detailed holo. The ultrasound picture had been fuzzy and hard to make out, but this projection was far more detailed, hovering over Hux’s stomach. She manipulated it with her fingertips, enlarging the image of the fetus. “If this is a thirteen week old fetus, we need to be concerned about how it’s developing slowly,” she said. “I know three weeks doesn’t seem like a big difference, but it’s massive still at this point. The fingernails are only just starting to become apparent, see? At thirteen weeks, they should be fully developed, and the fetus should have fingerprints as well. The heartbeat we’re picking up is also too faint for thirteen weeks - it should be much stronger by then, but this heart is still not quite fully ready. For ten weeks, though, everything looks perfectly fine.”

The doctor seemed blissfully unaware of the way Hux’s mate was looking at him, dawning horror turning quickly into something far nastier.

-

With Kellea no longer concerned about stressing him or injuring the baby, Hux wasn’t surprised to find himself dragged from the speeder and into the manor by the wrist, practically thrown through the front door. His Alpha had been silent the entire ride back, but his breathing had been heavy as he worked himself up further with each passing minute.

Hux stumbled over the threshold, managing to catch himself on the table against the side of the hallway. He turned, keeping his back to the table, to face Kellea.

“Who did you fuck?” he was demanding, his face already turning red, like he’d been yelling for hours rather than a few seconds. “I should have guessed you were nothing but a whore. Your father tried to warn me you’d be just like your damned mother, and I ought to have listened to him.”

“Does it make you feel like less of an Alpha?” Hux asked in turn, sneering as he did. It was almost a smile curling his lips up. He should have been frightened, he knew, but it was just so satisfying. “You’ve spent years blaming me, calling me defective. Do you have any idea how sweet it is, to know you’re the defective one, not me? Really, what kind of Alpha can’t even get an Omega in heat pregnant?” Ren had managed it when he hadn’t even been in heat, so it was very clearly not an issue with Hux’s fertility. He almost wished he’d actually bothered to get tested, years ago, instead of just always assuming it was the fault of his biology.

He couldn’t believe it had never crossed his mind that he might not be the infertile one. After all, why would he continue to cycle so regularly, if he was?

At the moment, he didn’t have time to linger on it further, because Kellea lunged for him. Hux just barely managed to avoid his grip, darting further down the entryway that opened into a vast receiving room. 

“Stars damned whore,” Kellea spat, stalking after him. Usually there were plenty of servants in the house, but the cursing seemed to have scared them off, because when Hux looked around it was just the two of them. Which could be either good or bad, depending. 

“It’s hardly my fault you couldn’t knock up a fertility goddess,” Hux spat back, almost laughing as he did. A part of him was a bit frightened now, for himself and the child - Ren’s child - but he was giddy, too. And he wasn’t going to let this Alpha get the better of him. “What now? I’m going to give birth to a different Alpha’s child and there’s not a damn thing you can do about it.”

Kellea snarled at that, darting for him again. Hux had the advantage of age, so he was quicker on his feet, hurrying to the other side of the house. There were bound to be others in the kitchen.

“Do you really think I’m going to let you carry someone else’s bastard?” Kellea stalked after him, looking almost murderous. “No. I will not be disgraced by you like that. You’ve caused me enough shame. You’ll go quietly to an appointment to get rid of it, or you’ll wind up with a much worse fate yourself.”

Caught off guard, Hux looked back over his shoulder, jeering smile fading slightly. He’d never liked his mate, never considered him a decent person, but that was a level lower than Hux had expected him to stoop. He supposed he shouldn’t be surprised; Alphas never did seem to like facing the idea that they hadn’t been completely in control. 

“You wouldn’t dare,” Hux said, stilling and turning to face his Alpha. The chase had been more amusing than threatening, even if he knew it was very much not a game, but a threat like that changed things. He held his ground as Kellea approached, keep his chin tilted high. He was almost the same height as him, even if Kellea was much larger. “I still have some rights. Yours or not, you can’t force me to get rid of it. I won’t.”

Stopping in front of him, Kellea reached out and gripped his chin in one hand, squeezing. Hux grit his teeth together.

“I own you, Omega,” he said, his voice dropped low, threatening. “You will do as I tell you, or I’ll punish you. I’ve always been lenient with you, but I don’t have to be.”

Maybe a different Omega would have thought him lenient and kind. Hux supposed it was true enough that, in many areas, he was decent. Hux had freedom to roam the manor and grounds as he wanted, the only time he was expected to warm his mate’s bed was during his heats, and he was always provided with fine clothing and plenty of food. Outside his heats and formal events, he saw Kellea perhaps once a day, in passing. He was left to himself. 

But Hux hadn’t come from a place that made him grateful for such treatment. It was less than he deserved, far less, and he was very aware of it. So as Kellea squeezed his chin harder, he turned his head to the side and snapped at his fingers, gratified when he felt his teeth sink into the fleshy part of his mate’s hand. 

The satisfaction at the tang of metal that filled Hux’s mouth and nose only lasted a few moments. With a sound almost like a yelp, Kellea jerked his hand back and tore it from Hux’s mouth, only to bring his hand forward again and backhand him in the same motion. 

Despite their less than pleasant relationship, Hux had never actually been struck by his Alpha. Tossed sideways by the force behind it and how unprepared he had been, Hux caught himself before hitting the ground too hard, and then stared up at him, wide-eyed. He watched as Kellea shook his bloodied hand, small drops scattering across the floor. The imprint of Hux’s teeth, welling over with blood, were clearly visible. The satisfaction was entirely gone, however, leaving Hux chilled over instead. 

“You cunt,” Kellea spat, taking another step towards him. “Don’t think I’m going to let that kind of behavior stand.” He started to crouch down, probably with the intent of dragging Hux back to his feet, but Hux moved first. He turned over to push back up to his feet and bolted the rest of the way into the kitchen. The handful of servants there immediately moved away from him, expressions wary. It seemed they’d been listening to the commotion just outside, and looked eager to stay as well out of the way as possible. Hux couldn’t blame them, really. He’d never tried to endear himself to them, which in the moment, he regretted immensely. 

“Stay away from me,” Hux said, grabbing for the large knife sitting on the counter next to a half-cut hunk of meat. Probably the beginnings of what would have turned into a delicious steak or stew, made to satisfy his craving. It was a shame, that it would probably go uneaten now. 

Kellea laughed, open and mocking. “What are you going to do with that, Armitage? Put it down,” he said, still approaching. Hux backed up, until his back was against a counter, the knife held in one hand in front of him. 

“I survived the Academy with top marks and was put on the officer fast track, I would have been a member of High Command by now if you hadn’t gotten your hands on me,” Hux reminded, keeping his own voice low and even. It may have been a long time, but he was sure some skills and reflexes never faded. After all, he still slipped into the same defensive position with ease, muscles tensed and ready to move in any direction he needed at a moment’s notice. “Do you really think I don’t know how to use a weapon?”

“I told you,” Kellea said slowly, rather than acknowledging that Hux had even spoken, “to put the knife down. You’ll only end up hurting yourself with it, and we don’t want that. Put it down, Armitage.” 

Hux took a few moments just to breathe, weighing his options. Kellea seemed to have calmed some, for the moment. He could take his chances, see if the way his cheek stung viciously had been enough to abate his Alpha’s anger, if they had a chance of discussing this like rational people. Perhaps he could use this to negotiate some sort of separation, so he could raise the child away from his mate and his influences, since he would no doubt treat the child just as horribly as Brendol had treated his bastard child, if not worse. 

Or it could be a ploy, and if he put the knife down, Kellea might grab him while he was weaponless. If he didn’t think he could get Hux to agree to go get an abortion, Hux wouldn’t put it passed him to take matters into his own hands. 

That was just something he couldn’t allow, a chance he couldn’t take.

Letting the hand with the knife shift to the side, so his wrist was up and his grip on it looked loose, Hux took a step forward. “Do you promise,” he said quietly, “to let me keep it? I’ll sooner use this than let you take it from me.” He tilted his head to the side slightly, eyeing the knife with a touch of nerves, before letting his gaze flit back to Kellea.

“I suppose,” Kellea agreed, pressing his lips together. He was obviously unhappy, and Hux didn’t believe him for a moment. “Just put the knife down, and we can go talk about this.”

Hux took another step forward, letting the knife fall a little bit more, like he was preparing to drop it. He watched his Alpha’s shoulders roll back slightly, in what someone else might have mistaken for relaxation, instead of preparation. 

Before Kellea could make his grab for him, Hux threw his whole weight behind driving the knife into the side of his chest, sliding neatly between two ribs, exactly where he’d been aiming. He’d always been particularly talented with small blades back in the Academy, and it seemed he’d been right: he hadn’t forgotten. 

“I’m not fucking stupid, Del,” Hux said, dragging the knife back out. The wet sound of it was exactly like he remembered, too. “You never could wrap your mind around that.”

Finally dropping the knife, Hux stepped to the side and let Kellea collapse, not looking back as he made his way out of the kitchen and toward the stairs. 

He only got about two steps up the staircase, however, before splitting pain lanced through him. It seemed to come right from his core, like his organs were being ripped out from his middle. Stumbling, he had to drop down onto all fours just to keep from passing out and falling, gagging on nothing as he did. Spots danced in his vision. Closing his eyes against it and bringing up one hand to cover his mouth, Hux retched as he tried to take in a slow breath, his stomach valiantly trying to bring up the meager breakfast he’d eaten that morning. Forcing himself to breathe through that was hard enough, but the initial pain hadn’t subsided, racing from his core all the way out through his fingertips and causing sharp sparks of pain behind his eyes.

Of course, the fucking bond. It hadn’t even crossed his mind that the death of his Alpha would cause him pain. And stars above, what a pain. He’d never thought it would be so bad when there had been so little emotional connection between them. They’d never shared so much of what Hux always thought meant a bond was strong; no snatches of the other's feelings passed between them, no innate knowledge of the other, and his presence had certainly never been something Hux found innately soothing or secure. He knew it existed, but it had never affected his life. He’d never paid it any mind. 

With how it radiated through him, almost pulsing, he doubted it was going to fade any time soon. He wanted to just curl up there on the stairs and let it pass, but that wasn’t an option. There had been servants who witnessed what he’d just done, and there would definitely be people crawling around the manor soon, investigating everything and, probably, wanting to bring Hux in for questioning, possibly arrest him. He needed away from the manor before that happened. 

Lifting his head and opening his eyes, Hux started to stand, gripping the railing of the stairs to help haul himself up. His legs threatened to collapse under him, but after a moment of just standing there, it got a little easier. Slowly, he made his way up the stairs, and pressed a hand to the wall when he reached the top, using it for support as he trudged toward his own bedroom.

His comm was sitting on his nightstand, there with the rest of his technology. Picking a contact he’d had for over a year but never actually used, he sat down heavily onto his bed, holding his wrist out so the camera could capture him as he spoke. “Ren,” he said, breathing hard still. Even so, a slight smile pulled his lips up. Things could still go so very badly, but at least there would be this. “I’m going to need you to stop whatever you’re doing and come get me right this instant. Kellea is dead, at my hands. Ren, come now, I have so much to tell you.” 

Sending the transmission and praying to any deity he could think of that Ren would get it quickly and not be too far away when he did, Hux let himself collapse back on the bed, throwing an arm over his eyes and letting the other hand come to rest on his stomach. He still trembled intermittently as the pain of the broken bond intensified occasionally, and he still fought to breathe evenly instead of gagging, but something of a laugh still managed to spill passed his lips.

Kellea was dead, and he was carrying Ren’s child. All considered, it was something of a dream situation.

-

Two hours later, Hux was quite comfortably curled up on the bed in the back of Ren’s ship. It still was far from the softest bed, but with Ren’s scent wrapped up around him,he wasn’t sure he'd ever been more comfortable. He would be even more comfortable when the Alpha returned from getting them off planet and into hyperspace, but for now, this was the best.

Occasionally, tremors from the broken bond still shot through him, making every muscle in his body tense for a few painful seconds. Vaguely, Hux was worried about what kind of effect that might have on the child, but worrying about it wouldn’t do him any good. There was nothing to be done but ride out the effects and hope they didn’t prove to be detrimental. 

Eventually, Hux wasn’t sure after how long, the bed dipped as Ren sat down on the side of it. Hux rolled over so he could pillow his cheek on Ren’s thigh, looking up at him for a few moments. And then Ren’s fingers sunk into his hair, and Hux closed his eyes again.

“Time to talk,” Ren prodded, gently. “What made you kill him?”

There was no judgement in Ren’s voice, as Hux had known there wouldn’t be. Rather, he sounded almost pleased. He’d never explicitly told Hux he should kill his mate, or allow Ren to do it for him, but it had been subtly implied a handful of times. Hux had always changed the subject. 

“I’m pregnant,” Hux said, looking up at Ren again. He figured he might as well get straight to the point. He’d never much liked people who had to talk around what needed saying. “It’s not his.” He shrugged slightly, figuring he didn’t need to actually explain any further. 

Ren’s expression clouded for a moment, and Hux had the distinct realization that he had no idea how Ren felt about children, at all. They’d entered into their little arrangement with the knowledge - or, assumption, he supposes now - that Hux was infertile. That could easily be the only reason why Ren had ever been willing to not use some kind of protection, or slept with him at all. Tensing, then, he had to acknowledge he could have just put himself in a much more dangerous situation than he’d been in. Ren was far younger and stronger than Kellea had been, and had the Force on top of that. If he was unhappy, Hux stood little chance of defending himself, and had nowhere to run while they were in the ship.

But then Ren’s expression cleared, and his fingers slid down Hux’s temple to his cheek. “It’s not his,” he repeated. “Which makes it… mine?”

Feeling ridiculous for worrying, even for a second, Hux huffed quietly. “Obviously,” he said. Shifting, he turned onto his back, and then rucked his shirt up to expose his stomach. It still wasn’t visible from the front, but laying down, that slight curve was a little easier to see. “See?” he asked, tracing one finger over the curve. 

Ren leaned over him, his fingers following the path of Hux’s, but without actually touching. “I thought you were infertile,” he said, though he didn’t seem to care that much, obviously distracted.

“So did I,” Hux said, shrugging again. “But I was never actually tested for it, we just kind of assumed. Turns out, he was infertile. Not me.” 

Ren laughed, and Hux let himself smile a little bit up at the ceiling. “Serves him right,” Ren said, and Hux just made a sound of agreement. Another wave of pain hit him right after, and he tensed, gritting his teeth together as his whole body seemed to pulse and ache for the space of a few seconds. When it faded, it did so slowly rather than all at once, and he let out a slightly shuddering breath. He didn’t even realize he’d closed his eyes, but when he opened them again, Ren was watching him with open concern. “All right?” he asked, and Hux nodded, forcing his muscles to relax again.

“Aftershocks of the bond breaking, I guess,” he said. “It’s painful, but I’m sure it’ll stop before too long. And it’s better than actually being bonded to him, anyway.” 

Ren didn’t look convinced, but he didn’t argue. Instead, he just tilted Hux’s head to the side, then ran his fingers over the old bondmark. Kellea had never bitten it after the initial, so it was pale and faded. Another decade, and it would probably be hard to make out from the rest of his skin. Hux hoped that was the case - the less of Kellea that lingered on him, the better.

“You know, I bet I know what would make it stop hurting.” Hux looked up at Ren as he spoke, reaching out to pull his hand away from the bondmark, setting it on his stomach instead. Ren hadn’t actually touched it before, but Hux wanted his touch there to chase away the phantom impression of Kellea’s hands and lips. 

“What?” he asked, just to be indulgent.

“Replacing it.”

Hux just stared at Ren for a few minutes, before raising his eyebrows when he realized he was serious. “Why don’t you take things up with your Supreme Leader before making grand gestures like that,” he said finally. He patted the back of Ren’s hand where he’d left it on his stomach. “I’m still not unconvinced he won’t have me killed for this, after all. I sincerely doubt I’m in Kellea’s will anywhere, so it’s not like I’m going to inherit his money to continue investing in the Order.” And Brendol hadn’t left him anything, either. As far as the Order was concerned, he was pretty much useless. He had nothing to bargain with, and was mostly just trying to enjoy this time now, when his future was so uncertain. 

Much to his surprise, Ren growled at him. Or maybe not at him, exactly, but in response to him. “You are carrying my child,” Ren said, his voice still rumbling with the growl. His hand flexed over Hux’s stomach, too, possessive. “Which makes you mine, in one way. Snoke won’t protest it becoming multiple ways.” 

Even if he was amused by the little display, Hux still rolled his eyes, patting Ren’s hand again. It was fond, though, all of it. “Talk to your leader,” he said again, before giving Ren an easy smile. “Then you can give me that proposal again. And I promise, you’ll like the answer.”

Ren huffed, but much to Hux’s pleasure, he settled in at his side a moment later. His fingers started tracing faint circles over Hux’s stomach, obviously pleased with the little swell sitting between his hips.

“Ren, guess what I read,” Hux said suddenly, after a few minutes of quiet had passed between them. 

“Hm?” 

“The second trimester supposedly comes with a massively increased sex drive. And I’ll be entering that in, mm, about two weeks.” 

Ren’s deep, open laugh left Hux smiling to himself, feeling more positive about the future than he had in a long time. It wasn’t his dream from his younger days, of ruling over the Order himself, but it was, maybe, something almost as good.

**Author's Note:**

> Feel free to come chat with me on tumblr at asklordren.tumblr.com!


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